Read and Reflect ( The Defining Elements of a Discipline)

My IDS major was a fruit salad at the beginning. I had coaching and sports, entrepreneurship, exercise sport and physiology. The fruit salad aspect was one in which I wanted to get good at several interconnected disciplines in order to be a well rounded personal trainer and gym owner. But my interest changed and I began to have more of a fruit smoothie major because I transferred from coaching only to sales and entrepreneurship major with aspects of coaching health exercise and sports blended together. The epistemologies included the health sciences, marketing and entrepreneurship, coaching effectiveness as well as the technology of both sales and sports. The content of what I studied in each discipline was shaped by the interest I had in entrepreneurship in the field of racquet sports. The coaching, athletic and health sides of my major side became shaped by what was trending in equipment and technology. How could I use what was available to become a better coach and better sales person? How could I integrate my knowledge to be ome a racquet sport entrepreneur?

I have learned so much about how to sell myself and my skills. I have learned the most current technology and how to market that technology alongside the best available equipment for the price range of my clientele. I have learned about health and nutrition, how to keep myself and my clients up to date on best practices for well being. I have learned that I have a lot more to learn in order to start my own business.

My studies have been synthesized in my internship/ job at Owls Nest. There I get to drink the fruit smoothie. I have to be aware of the day to day running of a department, I have to jeep up on sales, inventory and the best equip[ment to buy for the money. I need to be aware of the clientele and what they need, both personally and in a professional caring relationship. 

My disciplines have never really contradicted each other. Perhaps that is because my goal has been to learn how to best support the racquet sports community  rather than having a goal of just making a sale or making money. There were aspects of the sales and marketing courses that made me wonder if I could sell ethically, but I realized that by paying attention to what my clients need to improve their game, my sales would stay bound by concern for the well being of my clients. The unexpected viewpoint I now have is that being who I am and applying my knowledge from the IDS major, I will just be a better more successful coach and businessman, because underneath I’m still the same person.